Westcott House
Why it's listed
Westcott House is a two-story Prairie style residence at 1340 East High Street in Springfield, Ohio. Frank Lloyd Wright designed it in 1905 for Burton J. Westcott, a Springfield industrialist. The rectilinear house, about forty by twenty-five feet, has stuccoed walls, wooden trim and a masonry foundation. Its multi-windowed south facade, flat-roofed front porch and broad roof overhang give it the low, sleek look of Wright's Prairie work. The terraced lot has concrete retaining walls and two large concrete planters. A smaller one-story guest house in the same style sits at the rear. The house matters because Wright built few buildings in Ohio, and it is described as almost a lower-profile model of his Willits House in Illinois. At the time of listing the roof and eaves needed urgent repair, and the interior had been divided into apartments, though the guest house was in somewhat better shape.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent example of Wright's Prairie style, designed by one of America's premier architects. Few Wright buildings were built in Ohio, so it is an important landmark. It is described as almost a lower-profile model of the Willits House in Highland Park, Illinois.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 74001413, listed July 24, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1340 E. High St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Clark County |
| Listed | July 24, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001413 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century (built 1905) |
| Architect / builder | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Prairie style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in fair condition and altered; the interior was partitioned into apartments, the roof and eaves need immediate repair, and the guest house is in better condition than the main house. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.92166, -83.78918 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 74001413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7987311
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.